A spicy hen giveaway at a subway station in China descended into chaos on Thursday after it triggered a mad rush for the snack packs.
It began as a promotional occasion by Qianwufu, a snack firm in Guizhou province.
The native agency decked out one of many trains on Guiyang metropolis’s third metro line with its firm colours, encouraging folks to attend the launch of the “Qianwufu Recent Fried Guizhou Spicy Hen Particular Prepare.”
Reward luggage containing nine-ounce packs of firecracker hen, a famed dish of stir-fried hen with chili and peppers, can be accessible, it mentioned in a promotional assertion on Wednesday.
“It is a fastidiously crafted happiness categorical journey,” the corporate mentioned, including that the occasion celebrates World Client Rights Day.
Hen-receiving hopefuls wanted to point out up on the Huaguoyuan station at 8:55 a.m. for his or her present packs, Qianwufu mentioned.
“Restricted amount. Whereas provides final,” the assertion added.
Social media exhibits the mess that ensued
Movies on Chinese language social media quickly confirmed folks thronging Huaguoyuan for his or her likelihood at free fried hen.
One video on Douyin, China’s model of TikTok, confirmed workers chatting with the gang by means of loudhailers earlier than the prepare arrived.
“There are solely 108 parts of firecracker hen,” a workers member introduced.
If that was meant to disperse the gang, it did not work. When the Qianwufu Recent Fried Guizhou Spicy Hen Particular Prepare arrived, the crowds might be seen cramming into the subway vehicles.
One Douyin submit captured the precise second the prepare arrived. Empty subway vehicles slide into view, pink present packs spaced neatly on their seats.
Then the doorways open, and inside seconds, the vehicles are full of folks grabbing luggage and tussling whereas station workers attempt to name out over the commotion and keep order.
Seeing the gang’s dimension, a number of folks gave up and did not attempt to enter the prepare.
Within the attendees’ protection, Qianwufu’s present bag had extra than simply packs of spicy hen. In addition they contained an apron, preserved pear snacks, a field of breakfast millet, a membership card, and 10 coupons for 50% off firecracker hen, per the corporate.
China’s web wasn’t impressed.
“This type of occasion ought to be banned,” one individual listed by Douyin as based mostly in Guizhou commented on a viral submit. “If a stampede happens, the results can be disastrous. Many of those individuals are outdated.”
Others based mostly within the province criticized the timing of the occasion.
“Sooner or later, please do not maintain these occasions on a working day,” one commenter mentioned.
Chinese language media retailers have since printed interviews with workers working within the Guiyang subway operations group, who mentioned suggestions for the hen giveaway was reported to their managers.
“We’ll refer this to the related departments, and sooner or later we’ll have on-site safety controls,” one workers member mentioned, per political and enterprise information community Western Choices.
About 6.2 million folks stay in Guiyang, the industrial hub of considered one of China’s least prosperous provinces. Huaguoyuan is a part of town’s latest subway line, which began working in December 2023.
There’ve been different situations the place mass giveaways have gone horribly improper.
In August, a PlayStation giveaway in Manhattan by web streamer Kai Cenat went awry, devolving into what New York Metropolis police mentioned was a riot that left a number of folks injured.
Giveaway chaos is not new to China, both. One notorious occasion in 2015 concerned a division retailer in Yan’an metropolis that gave out pillows and blankets to individuals who promoted its enterprise on their social media accounts. Lots of of individuals flooded the shop, and the police had been finally known as in to disperse the gang, state media outlet China Each day reported.
Qianwufu didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark despatched by Enterprise Insider.
